


nevertheless

by spacebubble



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Coda, Episode: s05e09 The Ascent, Ficlet, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Episode: s05e09 The Ascent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29439624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebubble/pseuds/spacebubble
Summary: Odo has one more thing to say.
Relationships: Odo/Quark (Star Trek)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	nevertheless

**Author's Note:**

> just an old fragment i had kicking around in my drafts for a while. takes place directly after the end of "The Ascent." :)
> 
> happy valentine's day!

The silence between them feels warm, almost. 

It’s silent for so long that Quark thinks Odo’s fallen asleep again.

Just when Quark's about to let himself drift off to sleep, he hears a barely perceptible inhale, slow and determined.

And Odo, softly, asks:

“Remember when I said, ‘I love you’?”

Quark stops breathing for a moment.

He immediately rolls over onto his side to face Odo.

“But you took it back,” Quark says.

Odo groans in exasperation. “Because you _dropped_ me on my _broken leg_ , Quark.”

“Oh.” Quark smiles. “Right.”

He watches Odo roll over onto his side to face him.

“I’ll say it again,” Odo says. “Over and over again. If you want. I’ll say it for the rest of my life.”

Quark blinks at him in the dark. 

He can almost hear Odo looking at him, making an effort to keep his breathing calm and steady, waiting for his response.

“You mean it?” Quark asks. He grips his pillow tightly. “Don’t take it back again.”

Odo chuckles. “Don’t drop me on a broken limb again.”

He huffs, amused, and his grip starts to relax. “I won’t.”

And Odo's voice lowers, gentle and sweet. "Then I won’t, either.”

"Okay, then." 

"Okay." 

The hum of the runabout's machinery fades into the background, and Odo's smile is the last thing he sees before falling asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> [...all bad bad, nevertheless...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApXoWvfEYVU)


End file.
